As missionaries serving in a different country and culture, we have wondered at what our younger children will think and experience when we ever get back to America. What things will be new to them? What "weird" American customs will they experience for the first time?
For me, being born and raised on the island of St. Thomas, taking my first trip to the continental U.S. brought many firsts! I can remember being so excited that the car could actually get past 35 MPH!...not to mention when we broke the sound barrier at 70 MPH! I couldn't believe that you could get in a car and travel for several hours and not drive past your house 50 times! It was amazing...and air conditioning in every store, home, and restaurant was a dream come true!
Well, this week we got a little taste of some things our younger children have yet to experience:
Silas called his Grandpa to tell him that he had gone fishing for the very first time. (Grandma & Grandpa are planning on visiting us in May) As they talked, Grandpa mentioned to Silas, "When I come, do you want to go get a donut with me?" To which Silas replied, "Do what?" So Grandpa said again, "Do you want me to take you out to get a donut?" Silas was now confused as he said, "What does it mean to go out to get a donut...I don't understand?"
You see, we don't have any fast-food chains here to "run out to get something to eat." For Silas, going out means either making a visit or actually grocery shopping with momma...not just to get one thing to eat like a hamburger or donut.
For Silas and Callie, traffic lights are difficult to understand. We don't have any permanent ones. All we have are portable traffic lights that move around to where the city is doing road work and the lights change from Red to Yellow...so Silas & Callie can't quite understand what a green light is.
Then there is the package rule here at the grocery stores. You see, back in the U.S., you buy a "pack" of something. For example, you might buy a six pack of soda. Well, here, you buy exactly what you want. If you want 7 sodas, you buy the whole "6 pack" and then break open another pack and just take the 1. You might find a 4 pack of canned tomato paste, so you break open the pack and take 2 or whatever number you want.
I could just see my kids now back in the States, leaving behind a trail of opened boxes, cartons, and "packs" on all of the shelves at the grocery store!
